Dunadan

This could also happen in men's snowboard PGS (a small chance but not impossible) and men's 500m in short track speed skating.

Elena Fanchini said that she has been diagnosed with a tumor  http://www.gazzetta.it/Sport-Invernali/Sci-Alpino/Coppa-Mondo-Sci/12-01-2018/sci-elena-fanchini-rinuncia-giochi-una-dura-prova-ma-non-mi-arrendo-240863112577.shtml

Tom Dumoulin during Giro d'Italia's stage 16...surely unforgettable!
 

Tom Dumoulin during Giro d'Italia's stage 16...surely unforgettable!
 

Tom Dumoulin during Giro d'Italia's stage 16...surely unforgettable!
 

Tom Dumoulin during Giro d'Italia's stage 16...surely unforgettable!
 

Bodybuilding 

I think this is also due to the fact that LEN created another similar tournament (Europa Cup http://www2.len.eu/?p=10647), so other teams decided to focus on this Europa Cup.
 

Soooo...
 
Using that method on lat year world cups rankings (except for short track where I used this year world cup as it's allready over) and last world championships for hockey and curling.
 
I came up with these results:
 
Medals:
 
1. GER : 29.8
2. CAN : 26.75
3. NOR : 27.4
4. USA : 26.2
5. RUS : 21.35
6. FRA : 19.45
7. AUT : 16.1
8. NED : 14.65
9. ITA : 13.55 (!!)
10. SUI: 12.8
11. SWE: 9.95
 
 
Golds:
 
1. GER : 10.55
2. NOR: 10.15
3. CAN: 9.65
4. USA : 8,15
5. FRA: 7.6
6. RUS: 6.8
7. AUT : 5.3
8. NED : 5
9. ITA : 3.65
10. SUI: 3.45
11. SWE: 2.95
 
There are many shortcomings (no dedicated rankings for many events, last year results, same odd ratio regardless of event, missing countries, etc.), but here it is.
 

She has a 6th place as best result 
https://data.fis-ski.com/dynamic/athlete-biography.html?sector=FS&competitorid=178908&type=result&category=WC&season=ALL&sort=P&discipline=ALL&position=&place=&Submit=Search&limit=50

ISU published the quotas
http://isu.org/communications
 
 
 
 

It was not meant for you. 

I have no desire to reply to certain users (I remind you that some of this people who wrote a couple of posts above pretending to be objective are the same who kept replying me with dozens of messages about the "cowardice of the Italian army" when talking about volleyball ) so here's two answers to the nonsense I'm reading here:
- Italy NT played quite different styles of football, even in the last 20 years. It's quite impossible to dislike ALL of them;
- football has a big part in the Italian society and also economy, much more than Sweden for example...that's why this is considered a "drama" and not just sports (every other sport is "just a sport"...Hell, even I have to admit that objectively it would be better to be out of the next few Olympics rather than missing a football WC).Here's some data from 2016
 

Congratulations

whoa, looks awesome, I want one too
 
Congrats

I received my (glass) diamond 
 

Fantastic prize ! Congratulations !

I received my (glass) diamond 
 

Arianna Fontana (short track speed skating)
http://www.gazzetta.it/Sport-Invernali/20-10-2017/olimpiadi-pyeongchang-2018-portabandiera-l-italia-sara-arianna-fontana-23015682366.shtml

Arianna Fontana (short track speed skating)
http://www.gazzetta.it/Sport-Invernali/20-10-2017/olimpiadi-pyeongchang-2018-portabandiera-l-italia-sara-arianna-fontana-23015682366.shtml

Arianna Fontana (short track speed skating)
http://www.gazzetta.it/Sport-Invernali/20-10-2017/olimpiadi-pyeongchang-2018-portabandiera-l-italia-sara-arianna-fontana-23015682366.shtml

Points for guessing difference should be reduced in some sports (or conversely points for right winner should be increased), yes.
 
But giving the same 0 points to someone who gets the result wrong (but kind of "guesses" the match will be close) and to someone who also predicts a wrong winner (but by a large margin), will increase the randomness/luck factor. Especially in sports where matches are most often decided by a small margin of points/goals like handball, waterpolo or field hockey.

Why not? + or - 9, it was a relatively close game! Besides, you only get 2 points for that. The closer you are the more points you get, and it makes more sense that being off by 18 is better than being off by 30 and thus gets some consolation prize.
 
With 20+20 there should be enough importance in choosing the winning side, and yet rewarding your skill to predict how close the game will be.

I might introduce a rule for next season: winning a gold medal - next three contest to be missed
 
As I kept repeating myself last year - when I have free time, I can do my volunteer work. When I miss it, havoc occurs  
I am still really sorry and am ashamed (sort of) because of a mess from last year but I really wasn't able to finish the counting off. 
For next year, I have some plans and we will do things differently a bit. I might even open a thread in next few days to discuss changes/additions of rules, scoring systems, formats, spreadsheets and all other stuff concerning Prediction Contest. Also, I would like to have three standard members of "Prediction Contests Board" so we can update results regularly and establish Prediction Contests as reliable events on the forum and attract more users. Back in the old days, Prediction contests regularly had 50+ participants, with record of 130 participants for UEFA Euro 2012 (which I won  and that was my first gold if I remember correctly). 
So, last and this years should be some sort of transition years; and starting with 2018 my intention is to have good schedule, much more contestants and regular updates

Like he needs a job, with his prediction skills he must be sitting on his private island somewhere in the ocean